Rising from Ashes
by FireHanyou16
Summary: Lucy was freaking out. Her rent was due in a few days and she had pleaded Natsu to go on a mission with her. Three days later Lucy came back. But only Happy came back with her. Why were she and Happy crying? And what was the mark that looked like red flames on her right arm?
1. The Accident

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail all rights reserved for Hiro Mashima.**

**Full summary: Lucy was freaking out. Her rent was due in a few days and she had pleaded Natsu to go on a mission with her. Three days later Lucy came back. But only Happy was with her. Why was she and Happy crying? And what was the mark that looked like red ****_flames _****on her right arm? **

**Lucy's POV**

I paced in the living room of my adorable apartment.

Only one problem; if I didn't get 70,000 Jewel in three days, it wouldn't be my apartment for long.

I need to go on a job with Natsu and Happy.

I arrived at the guild within ten minutes of leaving my house, before walking to the bar and asking Mira for a glass of soda.

Natsu walked up, shaking his head to easy dizziness I suppose from his last fight with Gray, Happy perched on his shoulder, munching on a fish.

" Hey Luce! How's it goin'?" Natsu grinned his infamous smile, the one that would stretch his face in the cutest way.

" Not much. But I think I need to take another job. My rents' due in a few days and I only have half of it." I sighed thinking of my stuff being throw out my window, by my violent land-lady.

" Well then, let's look for a good one with good pay. I'll be careful!" Natsu grinned again.

" Aye! All or nothing, right Lucy?" Happy smiled.

I smiled and nodded.

A day later we were packed to leave, already seated on the train.

Natsu turned green the moment we got on, and I put his head on my lap, running my fingers through his spiky salmon hair, hoping it would ease some of his motion sickness.

Apparently it did, because he smiled softly before burying his face in my stomach, instantly falling asleep.

He's so cute.

**TIME SKIP OF TRAIN RIDE AFTER MEETING WITH THE CLIENT TO THE FIGHT**

" NATSU!" I screamed seeing him be smashed into the concrete, blood going everywhere.

We were covered in it.

All of us.

Most of it was Natsu's. He had taking hit after hit for me, after finding out that the beast we were fighting was interested in eating celestial wizards for their power and saw a lot of power in me.

The beast stepped on Natsu's already damaged body.

I'm pretty sure I saw red.

**Normal POV**

" NATSU!" Lucy screamed seeing him be smashed onto the ground, blood spewing everywhere.

They were covered in it.

All of them.

Most of it was Natsu's. He had taken hit after hit for Lucy, after finding out that the beast we were fighting was interested in eating celestial wizards for their power and saw a lot of power in her.

When the beast stepped on Natsu, Lucy saw red.

She cracked her whip and bound the beast, calling out Leo at the same time, as well as Virgo asking them to take care of the thing.

" Go to Natsu." Leo glanced at her once before dealing out one Regulus Impact on the beast knocking it out cold.

Lucy ran over to Natsu without even having to be told twice, throwing herself down next to him, not paying attention to the throbbing in her ankle from when she tripped.

" Natsu? Please wake up! Please! You have to be ok! Don't leave us!" Lucy pleaded and cried crouched over Natsu's unmoving body.

" Luce..." Natsu gurgled, and coughed up blood.

" Natsu! Don't talk! We'll get help! Just don't die. Please don't die.." Lucy sobbed.

He gently but firmly gripped her right upper arm, and his fire surrounded the appendage for a minute before receding inside her body, leaving a mark which looked like red flames on her mostly unmarred flesh.

" You'll never be alone." He said, before turning to Happy and repeating the action.

Once he finished his hand dropped, and his eyes closed.

Lucy stared at his in horror. " N-Natsu?"

Her only response was the howling of the wind around them.

She choked. " N-No! Natsu please! This isn't funny! Please, wake up!"

No answer. Natsu; the happy-go-lucky idiot, Dragon-slayer...was dead.

Lucy fell forward onto Natsu's dead body, sobbing on his chest.

Happy shakily hugged Lucy, who reluctantly turned from Natsu's body to hug the exceed to her chest, still crying heavily.

_" Don't worry, you're never alone. I'm always there, guys. Stay strong, Luce, Happy." _A gentle whisper glided through their ears, sounding like a dearly departed Fire Dragon-Slayer. As the mystery person said this, the flames on Happy and Lucy's skin turned red and a comforting warmth radiated from it, lulling the two into unconsciousness.

**TWO DAYS LATER...**

Lucy sat with Happy on her lap, on a train headed for Magnolia, eyes red from crying.

When they had woke up, they were back in the town where the client had summoned them to destroy the beast. The mayor said some kind of blazing fire had carried her and Happy to the clients house, covered in wounds, blood, and tears. Also Lucy had been wearing Natsu's scarf, but it was on his body when he died.

The mayor had sent a troop of soldiers to the woods to collect the beast and return the body of their friend. Only, when they returned, the soldiers said they couldn't find the body of a Dragon-Slayer. Not a trace.

They had saw that the Dragon-Slayer was not with them and bought them train tickets home.

When they offered to dispose of Natsu's pack, Lucy and Happy snatched it from them, claiming to never let it go.

" Miss? Are you alright?" A attendant asked Lucy.

She didn't respond.

" We just lost someone we knew and had been extremely close to. She's closed herself off." Happy spoke for Lucy, knowing she wouldn't talk.

" Oh. I apologize. I'll just let you be." She bowed and walked away.

The train stopped three hours later, at Magnolia.

Happy and Lucy got off, heading for Fairy Tail.

They opened the doors, and were bombarded by smiling faces.

" Hey guys!"

" Lu-chan!"

" Bunny-Girl."

" Welcome back."

All normal pleasantries, until one asked a question that made Happy and Lucy flinch as if they had been struck.

" Where's Natsu?" One simple question. Who knew one simple question could cause such reactions from the two.

Almost automatically, Lucy broke down in tears, seated pitifully on the guilds floor, while Happy tried looking strong and hugged Lucy.

Fairy Tail knew this reaction well. This is what Mira and Elfman looked like when Lisanna disappeared. Or what was thought as death.

So Natsu was...dead?!

" My children." Master Makarov gravely said, and both the exceed and celestial wizard looked up, tears rolling down their faces.

Makarov reached out to touch the rig of flames that surrounded Lucy's right arm.

" DON'T TOUCH IT!" Lucy screamed, caressing the mark (along with Natsu's scale-patterned scarf), and fire appeared around her and Happy as of shielding them from some unknown threat.

Happy did the same action Lucy did, keeping the guild from seeing the mark they held so precious.

Mira tried putting a sleep-spell on them, but a ring of warm fiery magic energy slipped over Lucy and Happy, who instantly relaxed and slipped into a dreamworld.

The energy swirled around the guildmates, taking it's time, as if reassuring the members of a dear friend that was still there.

" Natsu.." Lucy mumbled and clutched the mark and scarf tighter.

How was Fairy Tail to approach the matter now?

**TBC**

* * *

_**Well, first chapter! I think I did ok...**_

_**I got this idea from another story where Natsu doesn't come back from a mission and Lucy changes from sweet to nearly goth.**_

_**Here's who said what when Lucy and Happy entered the guild.**_

**" Hey guys!" Most everyone**

**" Lu-chan!" Levy**

**" Bunny-Girl" Gajeel**

**" Welcome back" Erza and Gray**

**How will the guild cope without their loud, partially stupid, family member? Is Natsu really dead? How did Lucy end up with Natsu's scarf?**

**Questions will be answered in due time!**

**Don't let four year olds drive, and I'm going back to school tomorrow. Good thing I rode a horse today and now I'm sore as fuck. No gym for me, suckas! **

**-Always,**

**FireHanyou14-**


	2. Scale-Patterned Scarf's

**Chapter 2: Scale-Patterned Scarf's and Familiar Faces**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, all rights reserved for Hiro Mashima.**

**Full summary: Lucy was freaking out. Her rent was due in a few days and she had pleaded Natsu to go on a mission with her. Three days later Lucy came back. But only Happy was with her. Why were she and Happy crying? And what was the mark that looked like red ****_flames _****on her right arm? **

**Normal POV**

**TWO YEARS AFTER THE ACCIDENT**

The members of Fairy Tail learned quickly to not mention Natsu around Lucy or Happy, and also not to touch the marks on their arms (for fear of being burned by the magical fire that now swirled in their veins), but what rule stood out the most was, **do not **touch the scarf Natsu wore only two years ago. They could almost imagine the pink haired pyro, yelling at Gray, then getting hit by Erza for fighting, sulking in a corner, then starting a fight with Gajeel, and lastly, Lucy comforting him when he got hit again by Erza.

From the reports given, Natsu had been wearing his scarf when he passed, but Lucy was wearing it when she had been brought back to the town.

MiraJane's usually happy smile was now a sad frown. Gray kept his clothes on. He wouldn't admit it, but he thought of Natsu as the brother he never had. Juvia stopped stalking Gray, now she just sat at a random table, surrounded by suspended water, like a wall, broken by her love's frigid (even for him) actions as well over what had transpired. Juvia never harbored any ill-will towards the celestial spirit mage, and the reaction Lucy had to Natsu everytime he was mentioned (which wasn't often) clued Juvia into the fact that Lucy was in love with Natsu.

Erza would no longer keep up her usual composed stature, now she walked around with an aura of sadness. Cana's booze sat on the table, untouched while she studied her cards, completely sober. Lucy and Happy wouldn't show up for days, and when they did show up, they had red-rimmed eyes, Lucy would just order a mug of alcohol, and get Happy a fish. The guild reminded her and Happy of the good times with their best friend too much, so they stayed away. Master Makarov drank his weight and then some in alcohol. He was more than just three sheets to the wind, but he was to saddened by the death of one of his children. Reedus didn't draw, Levy didn't read, Gajeel wouldn't admit it, but he loved fighting with pinkie.

Eventually the members knew they had to get over it, and soon things returned to normal. Except for a certain Mage and cat.

Lucy had started going on multiple job requests, and came back everytime, nearly unconscious, and battered. She had passed out once, and when she woke up she refused medical treatment, mumbling that it was her job. Each time Lucy and Happy would come back, their marks (to which they kept in sight, Happy's was easily seen, Lucy had to wear tank-tops more often) would burn red brighter and brighter. She also always had the scarf wrapped around her neck, most likely a memento, or a promise of sorts to try to move on.

Their bubbly Celestial Spirit-Mage was fading fast, and no one could stop it.

One night Cana had found Lucy, passed out in an alley-way, drunk.

At that point the guild had enough and called a meeting, leaving Lucy and Happy out of it.

" This has gone on long enough!" Nab slammed a fist on the table.

" Nab, they just lost someone. And don't you remember? This is hard for all of us. Not to mention Lucy also lost her mother, and apparently her father treated her horribly. Think of a childhood like that, the only person that cares dies and then you're left with a parent that doesn't care about their child's life, but instead their own bank accounts.. Then someone who breaks the shell you build around yourself, and takes you someplace where people actually **do** care, only to have that person die?" Erza admonished, from her place next to Makarov. The members mulled it over. She _did _have a point, anyone of them would be ecstatic if they lived like that for their whole childhood and then met someone who actually gave a care.

Nab looked down, obviously put in his place.

" This is what Elfman and I felt when we thought Lisanna died." Mira's gazed saddened at the memory, staring at the table.

" But it's been nearly two years! Look at Lucy! She's destroying herself!" Max shouted.

" I think Lucy just has a different way to cope with loss then the rest of us." Juvia countered.

" Lucy-san is only trying to keep herself from getting hurt. All we can do is stick by her, like we're supposed to, as family." Wendy added from her seat next to the blue haired water-mage.

" That's true, Wendy." Erza said.

They all shut up when the doors opened and in walked said Spirit-Mage, and blue flying cat.

They no longer smiled. They were too sad to even bother. The two sat at the bar, not even looking at anything, just staring into space. They paid no attention to the members of their family (an odd one at that).

The guild doors one again slammed open, and a man called out, holding someone up by the waist and shoulder with his own, " Hey! There a Lucy or a Happy here?!"

All the members (aside from the melancholy spirit mage and cat) looked over at the voice, and gasped in shock when they saw Natsu's body being supported by one shoulder on the other man.

" Luce..."

Lucy jumped in her seat at the nickname, given to her by the Dragon-Slayer.

" N-Natsu...?" She turned in her seat slightly, afraid to see if it was a lie or the real Natsu. He gurgled a bit, " I...hate..." He paused and went a little green, " trains.." That was something that only Natsu Dragneel would say. He was back! That and the fact that his face was puffed out, greenish blue, and he looked_ really_ sick.

When she saw him, he grinned at her, and she broke down in tears of happiness.

" Told you ya wouldn't be alone." He grinned his usual face-splitting grin. The stranger put the pink haired pyro on his feet with an arm on his shoulder to steady him.

Lucy shook, before bolting over to him, and launching herself in his chest, sobbing.

He wrapped his arms around her, bringing her closer.

" I-I thought y-you died!"

" Me too. After I gave you an' Happy the flame marks, it felt like I was floating in darkness. I heard you crying for me to wake up, but nothing would work. I guess the marks somehow sensed you two were under too much stress, and used the magic infused flames to lull you both to sleep." Natsu said.

" But how come Lucy was wearing your scarf when we got back to the town, cause you were wearing it when we thought you died." Happy asked.

" Don't know, buddy. When I woke up, I was in some kind of forest. Not the one we were fighting the beast in, the guy right there told me he found me half dead next to an unconscious blonde girl and a blue cat, brought me to his house, and fixed me up. He even let me eat lots of fire. Then I asked him to take me here." Natsu smiled and hugged Lucy again.

He accidentally hugged her too hard, and she flinched when he squeezed one of her wounds. " Luce? Why'd you flinch?" Natsu stared at Lucy in concern.

" While you were gone, she went on missions everytime she was at the guild, which wasn't often. When she came back she would be covered from head to toe in bruises, blood, and her clothes were always torn in some way. I guess it was her way of coping." Erza said.

Natsu pulled up Lucy's shirt up to about just before the bottom of her bra, and saw countless scars littered against her once unmarred skin. And there, in blue, purple, and a bit of yellow, was the bruise that Lucy flinched from. It looked slightly infected, and would only get worse if not healed by Wendy.

" She came back once, almost dead from heavy blood-loss, it was from a side and head wound you wouldn't believe." Wendy told the salmon-haired fire-mage.

" I tried to heal her, but she refused everytime, saying it was her job." Wendy leaned up (having gained a few inches from the past two years) and whispered something in the elder Dragon-Slayer's ear.

He nodded curtly before walking the still softly crying Lucy up to the Guild's infirmary.

Once inside, he took hold of the mark, and smiled faintly when Lucy leaned into the unnatural heat he produced. Natsu poured his magic energy into the mark which sent his power through Lucy's body, healing her wounds instantly.

When he finished he softly kissed the flaming mark, which made Lucy smile.

A genuine smile, one that the guild hadn't seen in about two years. Happy walked over to where the two mages were seated on the bed, and climbed on Lucy's lap.

She stroked his blue fur, and smiled when she lulled him to sleep with the methodic stroking of her fingers through his fur. Natsu watched her and Happy's interaction silently.

" I didn't know you and Happy got along so well now.." He commented.

" After the accident, Happy and I knew that we were_ really_ all we had anymore. We knew that everyone was trying to help, but it just wasn't enough. Happy and I closed ourselves off from everyone else, but eachother." Lucy murmured, still stroking Happy's fur.

Happy mumbled ' Aye...' in his sleep, shifting to a more comfortable position on Lucy's lap.

" I'm sorry I put you both through that."

" It's not your fault. Besides, now that you're back, Happy and I can heal our emotional wounds that wouldn't scab over, with your guidance and help of course." Lucy hugged Natsu tighter. For now, everything was right.

Downstairs the rest of the guild rejoiced at the return of their salmon-haired pyro. Meanwhile, when everyone was celebrating, Carla had stepped into a corner, to get away from the chaos around the first floor when she was hit with a premonition. Lucy. Crying. Ruins. Fire. An angry Natsu. Blood. It was everywhere. Pieces of a broken picture flashed through her mind, before ending with a horrific sound. A cry of anguish.

Carla would think on this later. For now, if she didn't act if everything was alright, Wendy would suspect something.

The feme-cat glanced around the guild seeing everyone (excluding Natsu, Lucy, and Happy) doing everything they normally would.

As of this moment, life was good, and Fairy Tail was happy.

But soon that paradise would come to a close. Beware the shadows, for what lurks there are not always lies. Fairy Tail was in for a war like no other, starting with two people. Natsu and Lucy.

**_TBC_**

* * *

**_Well? How was it? I worked super hard on this! Sadly I had to wait to post this because of SOMEONE who reported me. _**

**_I officially finished this chapter on 4-17-15 (with edits and additions here and there), but I probably couldn't have posted this until about 6-20-15 or so._**

**_Gee thanks. No really, I got about two months off from school (minus schoolwork) and that gave me more time to myself to think about my life, and how I hate snitches._**

**_So seriously, if you people are gonna snitch, just get off this site. Authors don't want people like you ruining their chance to better their authoring skills._**

**_Snitches just make our lives harder huh? Ain't that right, all you authors on this site? *tsks* Just aren't happy unless someone's miserable, or in trouble._**

**What Wendy whispered to Natsu: " She and Happy haven't smiled a bit since the accident. Don't do that again." **

_**ANYWAYS! I have more confidence than I had when I first joined (or when I got my first flame) and I wanted to say thank you, to everyone who supported me along the way. Remember, not everyone will have something good to say about you, so just keep your head up high, and let the haters hate! It just shows them what they say doesn't effect you, and soon they'll stop.**_

_**Stay strong Love's!**_

_***winks and makes heart with hands***_

_**-Always,**_

_**FireHanyou14-**_


	3. Dear Guest,

**I'm sorry if I came off as a plagiarist, but I am not copying anything. I am a real writer, with real FEELINGS, whom also has low self-esteem. Bravo *claps*, you insulted someone with low self-esteem, how do you feel? Better? Listen, how would you like it if you had extremely low self-esteem and felt as if you do just about everything wrong, you find escape in writing, music, and anime, you never (almost never anyway) go outside, act like a loner partially, avoid conflict because you don't like it, and are a mess psychologically. And then someone barges in on your small sanctuary, and insults you. It would hurt, right? Here's the thing; ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), I am fortunate (maybe UNfortunate) to have 'high functioning' Asperger's and it means I have a better understanding of the world, more so of the ones who sit in a chair and are 'mute' and need constant assistance. But I'm called 'crazy girl', I get looked at funny, I always feel out of place, like I can't do anything right, and here you are stating your claim. **

**But okay, look like an asshole in front of millions of people. I'm not going to stop you, and the fact that you didn't even log in, or maybe even have an account, just shows you're afraid I'll strike back, or you'll get hate-PM's from everyone else for insulting someone. But I'm cool, the saying 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger' is starting to apply to me. So thanks for the encouraging words.**

**The least you could've done, was NICELY say that my material needs work, and to see if I can make something a little more original. But you abso-fucking-lutely HAD to flame me, real nice. **

**The world we live in today.**

**Until next time, and the rest of you (whom I like) will get the next chapter in a week or so. (I write real slow, that and I'm getting tutored, and I sometimes can't find the time to update)**

**-Always,**

**FireHanyou14-**


	4. Hide-and-Seek with A Beast

**Hi everyone, this is a small filler-type chapter for Rising from Ashes. In this I'll be explaining the job that Natsu, Lucy, and Happy had been summoned on, and all that fun jazz.**

**I'm a lot more calm though I'm not entirely sure why.**

**Let's go!**

**Chapter three: Filler/The Mission**

* * *

**Lucy's POV  
**

" Escorting a famous business tycoon for 200,000 Jewel... Find an ancient relic for 1,500 Jewel... Monster slaying 60,000 Jewel-Natsu would definitely go for that one..-... AHA! Here's something."

I picked the flyer up by its bottom and read what it entailed.

_Search for family heriloom in The Forest of Sorrow. _**(A/N: Anyone catch that Inuyasha reference? I'll give you a hint; my cat likes to chase _moths_. If you figure it out, review and in the next chapter I'll reveal who answered correctly.) **

_Already paid for temporary residence at hotel close to the Mayor's office._

_Further explaination given at requesters residence. _

_269,000 J_

_(Warning: inside The Forest of Sorrow there are many beasts that no one else dares to oppose. We don't have a large amount of mages and the ones we do have, would not be very helpful. Do not go outside after sundown, and if you hear a roar, do not proceed. _

Well, that's not scary at all... Still, the job would need to be done, and we have Natsu, and my stronger spirits like Aquarius, Scorpio, Loke, Sagittarius, and Taurus. Virgo would be a bit more for extra help if needed, and if we run into the beast, she could probably dig a huge trench under the thing. Or for medical supplies, or new clothes if ours get destroyed...

Deciding to choose it for our original Team Natsu, I pulled the sheet off the board, and went over to Natsu who was scarfing down his second helping of fire that Mirajane somehow managed to succeed in putting on a plate without it setting everything else in the vicinity on fire.

" Hey Natsu, Happy. I think I found a job we could take." Natsu gently pulled the request from my hands (the gentleness of which kinda almost scared me, but not so. He's always been this way. I think...) and read over it, his face lighting up like a Christmas tree when he read the part about beasts. He frowned slightly when it said that if we heard a roar to just return to the hotel.

" That's not suspicious at all.." Mirajane muttered as she read the form from over Natsu's shoulder, and he nodded. " Well if we manage to complete the job before sundown, we can just avoid the monsters, or we get you to use your destroy-everything-in-the-immediate-vicinity magic and you defeat the things. Sounds easy enough to me." Natsu pumped his fist in the air at the chance of getting to pummel something.

" YOSH! Happy let's go pack!" the blue exceed energetically agreed in the form of one shouted ' AYE!' and the two raced out of Fairy Tail's guild hall. I sighed. " Those two drive me nuts sometimes." Mirajane giggled lightheartedly from behind the bar and rested her arms on the solid wood. " I think it's cute. He's always been this way from how I remember. But be careful on this mission, something doesn't feel right." I agreed with that statement.

" Yeah I know. I got the feeling when I saw the part about the sounds and that stuff. Something isn't right about this request. I have a bad feeling." My gut keeps telling me that we picked the wrong job, but it's too late to go back on it now.

After packing for myself, I met Natsu and Happy at the train station and bought three tickets for us.

We just got on the train and it hasn't even moved, but sure enough, Natsu's on the floor incoherent and whimpering in his agony. " Natsu the train hasn't even started. I would say to just walk but the job is too far away, it's practically in the middle of nowhere! And it would be too rough on Happy to ask him to carry you. Not to mention the village is on unknown territory between Hargeon and Tully Village! That land gap is too large, we have to think rationally about all this or else we'll get hurt." the poor Dragonslayer moaned.

" W-Whatever.." his stomach then churned violently and I sighed. " Natsu come here." the aforementioned pink haired pyro sluggishly got up off the floor, and I instructed him to lay on my lap. " It's something that my mom used when I got motion sick when I was little." and so I alternated from reading a book I brought, and rubbing Natsu's stomach, ignoring Happy's little 'you liiikkke eachother~!' jibes. Soon, the train entered the station at Hargeon where we would then depart, making the rest of the trip on foot.

" WOOOO! I'M BACK IN BUSINESS, EH HAPPY?" Natsu roared as he suddenly re-animated. " AYE SIR!" Happy shouted in agreement, receiving odd looks by other passengers who made their way off the train. The insane duo decided to ignore the looks they got, jumping off the train and onto the platform, waiting for me to calmly get off. " Where do we go next Luce?" I looked down at the request form. " Most likely get some food then head off from here to maybe sundown, then in the morning we set off again til we get to the place." with that we set off to find a diner.

As usual, once the food came those two inhaled it as if it were their last meal, getting the oddest of looks from everyone in the building to which I sighed in exasperation. " Hey guys, can you slow down a bit? You're getting weird looks..." I muttered. Surprisingly, Natsu slowed his pace a bit, but was still shoveling food into his mouth. Happy hadn't bothered to listen and just continued to swallow fish whole, only pulling the skeleton from his mouth when he was done. Ew...

After lunch, we left, me leaving a small tip for the waitress in apology, we continued down the path out of Hargeon towards the village. We arrived by about maybe six thirty in the evening and the mayor thanked us profusely for coming. He then took us inside his office to explain.

" You see, recently bandits robbed my house and stole a valuable heirloom, and ran off into the Forest of Sorrow. No one dares to venture inside, for we are not wizards and we do not have any experience with battle so we would not be able to re-obtain the artifact. We need you to do so. But if you hear a roar, do not go further. Return to your hotel." I frowned.

Okay, now we're getting more suspicious of this mission. If Natsu was suspicious, he sure didn't show it, for he replied with this statement.

" No problem old man! We'll burn that thing if we see it! And we'll get your family's hairloon back!" I smacked him. " It's heirloom, you dope!" he grinned sheepishly at me while rubbing the arm I smacked. Happy was munching on a maceral that he had pulled from that small bag of his, and I mentally sighed. This was the core of my team, but I wouldn't change them for the world.

Once we left the manor, we trekked through the town til we got to the forest at the far edge, a enormous wall separating it from the town. Well that tells us just how dangerous this thing is. Gulping almost inaudibly, I followed Natsu and Happy inside-the former using his dragon nose to sniff the thing out-and I felt the feeling of suspicion enter me.

It was too quiet. And then I tripped over something. As I rubbed my ankle from whatever I hit, I looked back and recoiled with a barely concealed gasp. Gate keys...a Celestial wizard. I looked around and saw three more sets of keys. All Celestial Spirit mages. Now, I'm scared.

" Natsu..." I muttered, terrified and he grasped my hand, gently pulling me up. " Something's coming." he told me quietly. I was afraid, terribly. I had good reason to; my own magic type wizards had been murdered in here. I tried to sense some power from those keys, but was unsuccessful. Why would-oh my...

I think I'm going to be sick. My body trembling, I put a hand against my mouth to keep a scream buried deep. My eyes were wide. This monster...murders Celestial wizards and steals their magic power, along with any magic residing in the keys that summon the Celestial Spirits. They're probably suffering. Stuck in a world all alone.

When a Celestial wizard dies, the contract becomes void and the Spirits return to the Celestial wizard. But, when a Spirit mage is _murdered _the process is different. The Spirits contracted to the wizard will remain in one empty dimension, and if they do not form a new contract with someone, then they'll spend all eternity in that dimension. Not even the Spirit King can help them.

I reached down and collected the keys with shaky hands, mentally promising their wizards I would protect them. Judging by the significant amount of magic power, the beast had been feeding on their magic for quite some time. I carefully grabbed Horologium's key and summoned him quietly, asking him to keep the keys safe with everyone else, setting them inside his body and closing the door before closing his gate.

They should be safe for now. I felt the ground tremble and heard the footsteps of something enormous and flinched; that was most likely the beast. When it finally showed itself, the thing was huge, with dark brown fur matted with blood, and rage filled black eyes. It eyed Natsu with a growl, but then paused when it saw me, and then roared.

Oh no. It sensed my magic. Natsu released a large plume of flames to deter the thing, but it raced through it and I lunged for a tree as if came barreling passed me. This thing can't be too smart, but smart enough to know I have keys and that he needs the magic power. I didn't like how this fight looked, and I could tell that it wasn't going to be easy.

Natsu lunged for the beast. Happy pulled me in the air. The tail of the beast knocked Happy around, sending me flying through the air with a scream and Natsu diverted from his course to save me. He got smacked by the beasts tail and we went flying, though he put himself between me and the ground as we skidded, then flipped me under him when the beast attempted to grab me.

* * *

**HOLY CRAP! I am sorry I am late with this, busy as ever. *long pain filled sigh* Just four more days of summer school (testing is on Thursday and Friday so wish me some god damn luck people, I'LL NEED IT! Next on my list: Tot Trouble.**

**After that? Not a damn clue. I also got my fictionpress stories to worry about, same for Wattpad. Jesus Christ...I need a vacation... -.-' **

**Well, my personal Hell is almost over with, so I'm trying to stay positive. Wanna know my initiative for that? Negative enforcement for positive thoughts. For example: Wake up in the morning, on the way to the bathroom, think this. ' If you don't think positive, I'm stepping on your own foot.'. It works pretty good I think.**

**I mean, what idiot would wanna get hurt for thinking something negative? You wouldn't want to think in a negative fashion, because that would result in a negative repercussion in response to that thought. It's better to think positive to avoid under threat of pain induced by yourself. Nothing too drastic though. I don't wanna be held accountable if someone sends themselves to the hospital for doing something stupid as negative enforcement. **

**I am also allowing myself one negative thought per week, that way, I'm not a Debbie Downer, but I'm also not a Positive Penny. **

**-Always,**

**FireHanyou15-**


End file.
